III 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 49 

To direct the Joint Committee on the Library to accept a statue depicting 

Frederick Douglass from the District of Columbia and display the statue 

in a suitable location in the Capitol. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 21, 2012 

Mr. SCHUMER (for himself and Mr. DURBIN) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

To direct the Joint Committee on the Library to accept 

a statue depicting Frederick Douglass from the District 

of Columbia and display the statue in a suitable location 

in the Capitol. 

Whereas Frederick Douglass, born Frederick Augustus 

Washington Bailey in Maryland in 1818, escaped from 

slavery and became a leading writer, orator, and publisher, and one of the Nation’s most influential advocates 

for abolitionism, women’s suffrage, and the equality of all 

people; 

Whereas the contributions of Frederick Douglass over many 

decades were crucial to the abolition of slavery, the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the 

Constitution of the United States, the support for womVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:51 Jun 21, 2012 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SC49.IS SC49

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•SCON 49 IS 

en’s suffrage, and the advancement of African-Americans 

after the Civil War; 

Whereas after living in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Frederick Douglass resided for 25 years in Rochester, New 

York, where he published and edited ‘‘The North Star’’, 

the leading African-American newspaper in the United 

States, and other publications; 

Whereas self-educated, Frederick Douglass wrote several influential books, including his best-selling first autobiography, ‘‘Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an 

American Slave’’, published in 1845; 

Whereas Frederick Douglass worked tirelessly for the emancipation of African-American slaves, was a pivotal figure in 

Underground Railroad activities in Western New York, 

and was an inspiration to enslaved Americans who aspired to freedom; 

Whereas as a well-known speaker in great demand, Frederick 

Douglass traveled widely, visiting countries such as England and Ireland, to spread the message of emancipation 

and equal rights; 

Whereas Frederick Douglass was the only African-American 

to attend the Seneca Falls Convention, a women’s rights 

convention held in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848; 

Whereas during the Civil War, Frederick Douglass recruited 

African-Americans to volunteer as soldiers for the Union 

Army, including two of his sons who served nobly in the 

Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Regiment; 

Whereas in 1872, Frederick Douglass moved to Washington, 

DC, after a fire destroyed his home in Rochester, New 

York; 


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•SCON 49 IS 

Whereas Frederick Douglass was appointed as a United 

States Marshal in 1877 and was named Recorder of 

Deeds for the District of Columbia in 1881; 

Whereas Frederick Douglass became the first African-American to receive a vote for nomination as President of the 

United States at a major party convention for the 1888 

Republican National Convention; 

Whereas from 1889 to 1891, Frederick Douglass served as 

minster-resident and consul-general to the Republic of 

Haiti; 

Whereas Frederick Douglass was recognized around the 

world as one of the most important political activists in 

the history of the United States; 

Whereas Frederick Douglass died in 1895 in Washington, 

DC and is buried in Rochester, New York; 

Whereas the statues and busts in the Capitol depicting distinguished Americans number more than 180 and include 

only two African-Americans; 

Whereas that imbalance fails to show the historically significant contributions of African-Americans to the United 

States; 

Whereas it is time to display in the Capitol the statues and 

busts of outstanding African-Americans whose contributions to the Nation deserve that recognition; and 

Whereas Frederick Douglass’s achievements and influence on 

the history of the United States merit recognition in the 

Capitol: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

2 concurring), That— 


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•SCON 49 IS 

1 (1) not later than 2 years after the date on 

2 which this resolution is agreed to by both Houses of 

3 Congress, the Joint Committee on the Library shall 

4 accept from the District of Columbia the donation of 

5 a statue depicting Frederick Douglass, subject to the 

6 terms and conditions that the Joint Committee con7 siders appropriate; 

8 (2) the Joint Committee shall place the statue 

9 in a suitable permanent location in the Capitol; and 

10 (3) all costs associated with the donation, in11 cluding transportation of the statue to, and place12 ment in, the Capitol, shall be paid by the District of 

13 Columbia. 

Æ 


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